Mumbai-Pune e-way landslide: Swiss firm to help make stretch safer

With landslides and accidents becoming dangerously regular on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, the Maharashtra government has asked Swiss firm Isofer to survey the entire area, so that measures can be taken to avoid such incidents.

With landslides and accidents becoming dangerously regular on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, the Maharashtra government has asked Swiss firm Isofer to survey the entire area, so that measures can be taken to avoid such incidents.

A damaged car after the landslide on Mumbai-Pune highway. (HT Photo)

The government has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the two men who died on Sunday. The injured will receive free medical treatment in private hospitals.

“The Swiss company Isofer has made a presentation to my ministry. We have asked them to survey the area,” said Eknath Shinde, minister for the public works department.

According to Shinde, Isofer is involved in carrying out similar work in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand.

Sources said loose rocks and mud had been sliding on the roads since the morning on Sunday. Shinde said an inquiry into the incident will be carried out and action taken against officials who ignored the mud sliding.

Some years ago, a survey was carried out by the Central Road Research Institute, identifying 16 landslide-prone spots. Coming under the high intensity rainfall area, most of these locations are between Lonavala and Khandala.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), installed netting across the hills, to prevent boulders from falling down on the road below. However, the netting has now come loose.

“Last week, Aaditya Thackeray and I visited the landslide-prone spots on the expressway. The Swiss company, which has experience of taking preventive measures in Uttarakhand, has made a presentation before me and has been asked to take similar measures on the stretch,” Shinde said.